North Texas 23: Thing 8 – Facebook

I have really been trying to avoid Facebook. However, I did create a profile under a user name, and I searched for some acquaintances from high school and college. I was pleasantly surprised to see several familiar names from high school (I graduated from a very small high school). I also searched for my niece. I know she’s on Facebook, but I didn’t find her.

I can understand Facebook’s appeal, and can understand its utility for a library as a public relations tool, or for librarians who want to stay in touch with colleagues. I just seem to accomplish the same tasks with e-mail.

I have also been turned off by the attempts by Facebook to capitalize on all the information they collect, and the cheapening (to me) of the term friend. “SlightAcquaintancebook” describes more accurately, in my opinion, the way the site can be used.

Mrs. E.A. Draffan of the University of Southhampton in the UK sent me this site – Web2Access (http://www.web2access.org.uk/). It documents tests for accessibility run on numerous social media web sites, and the results are given in detail for particular types of disability. Facebook’s results are at: http://www.web2access.org.uk/product/3/.

Facebook received a rating of 67% for those with blindness or severe visual impairments, and a rating of 78% for those with partial vision. Ratings are also given for: cognitive/learning disabilities, specific learning differences including dyslexia, dexterity/mobility, partial sight/visual acuity, visual stress, color deficiencies, deaf/hard of hearing.